Rafael van der Vaart has claimed that he had the chance to join Barcelona at the age of 16.
Van der Vaart, who currently represents FC Midtjylland after leaving Real Betis last summer, was one of Europe's biggest talents during his time at Ajax between 1993 and 2005.
The attacker eventually left Ajax for Hamburger SV before later joining Real Madrid, but the 33-year-old has revealed that he could have joined Barcelona in the very early stages of his career.
"Barcelona wanted to sign me when I was 16," Van der Vaart told Noordhollands Dagblad. "But I never even considered a transfer. I felt that I had to make a name for myself at Ajax first."
Van der Vaart, who has also represented Tottenham Hotspur during a well-travelled career, scored 25 times in 109 appearances for Netherlands between 2001 and 2013.
